Magic Johnson believes the Los Angeles Lakers will need several more years to rebuild.

“It’s going to take three to five years to get them back rolling again," said Johnson during an interview with CBS This Morning.

“It’s different than when I played. In today’s NBA, you have to really develop your own players because free-agent movement isn’t like it used to be. You have to make sure you hit a homerun when you draft and try to keep the players you have on your roster.”

Asked after Monday’s practice how he felt about Johnson’s timeline, Walton said, “Three to five years sounds normal for a rebuild.”

Johnson told Spectrum SportsNet after his hiring that “Jim is calling the shots,” but in an interview with USA Today on Friday, Johnson said he is “working to call the shots.”

Johnson said Monday he will work “on the business side as well as the basketball side,” advising executives on personnel moves, mentoring players and recruiting free agents. 

The opportunity for Johnson to return to the Lakers arose in January.

“We’ve had our annual dinner to talk about the status of the Lakers,” Johnson said. “I began to tell her what I felt about the team and the direction the team was headed, and I didn’t think it was a good direction.

“I said, ‘What are you going to do?’ She said, ‘I’m going to make some changes.’ I said, ‘OK, what are you going to do? Who are you going to bring in?’ She said, ‘You.’ ”